Choices
by Shoukixx
Summary: Hiroomi realises his affections, but it's what he'll do with them that's important. [Title subject to change] [HiroAki] My first yaoi fanfiction. Please treat me well! Weekly updates around Fridays. [subject to change]
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hey guys! This is my first yaoi fanfic, so please be nice. For the story, I'll try to keep the anime's plot line out of it (there will still be references, but events that happen in the anime may not necessarily impact the story, and I may choose to overlook things.) just because it gets rather messy if I follow it. Slight OOC but nothing major and I tried my best to keep it as in character as possible. Without further ado, here's the story! Please enjoy. **

He supposed it was because of that day. Perhaps it was Mitsuki's fault. Perhaps it was his own. Maybe it was even _his _fault. But indubitably, it had led him here, and he had no idea how to deal with it.

Hiroomi lay on a park bench, hands behind his head, and looked up at the night sky. The only thing his eyes reflected was the winking stars and the bright, bright moon; and revealed none of the chaotic turmoil that raged within him. He sighed and moved so he was lying on the side, a hand tucked under his head, looking at the old, tattered wood of the bench, where people had etched things like 'Harry and Maria forever' and crudely drawn genitalia. Hiroomi scrunched his eyes shut and curled so his knees hit the back of the bench, and sighed again.

This isn't what he asked for.

This isn't what he asked for at all.

Hiroomi had always been protective of Akihito from the first time he met him, when he met the quiet, rebellious blond boy, sitting forlornly on his couch, looking like someone no one his age should look, and was absolutely taken by him. But he dismissed it, thinking it was only because he viewed Akkey as a younger brother. First mistake.

As the days he spent with him slowly built up, and as he slowly got to know him, the real Akihito, behind the mask of a broken child, Hiroomi slowly started to feel…_something_. Akihito changed and they started having play fights and flirty banter and they joked around, and he was content with the meaningless joy of being with Akihito. And he dismissed it as friendship. Second mistake.

When Akihito turned into a youmu and he couldn't stop him, Hiroomi felt endless waves of hopelessness. And as he lay, slowly fading out of consciousness, and saw that Kuriyama Mirai could help him, he felt the undeniable pang of jealousy and inferiority. Even after the event, he had mulled it over constantly in his mind, before dismissing it as the intense desire to help a friend. Third mistake.

And now he was at the crossroads of the fourth.

* * *

_They were sitting at the club room at lunch on a lazy, sunny day, both absorbed in their books, until Akihito spoke up._

_ "Hey Hiroomi."_

_ "Mm?"_

_ "Remember how I told you Mirai came over to my house?" Hiroomi looked up from his book, and raised his eyebrow, looking at the blond who had lowered his book._

_ "Mirai?" Akihito chuckled awkwardly, scratching the back of his head._

"_Sorry, I meant Kuriyama-san. Anyway, that's not the point. She saw a visitor was over, it was Sakura by the way," He added quickly, darting a sideways look at Hiroomi. "And you know what she said?"_

"…_What?" Hiroomi put his book down._

_ "She asked if it was you! Can you believe that?" Akihito chuckled and sat backwards on his chair, and put on his best Mirai impression. "She was all like, "Akkey, was your waist more than 'hot'?!" before totally freaking out." Akihito started laughing quietly, doubling over and clutched at his stomach. _

_Hiroomi remained quiet, a million thoughts a minute. _

_Why did he feel so crushed? _

_Why did he feel a sudden animosity towards Kuriyama? _

_Why is Akihito laughing?_

_**Why did he feel so damn frustrated? **_

_Then it had finally clicked. As if someone had been pushing and pushing and pushing at a rusty, stubborn lever and it had _finally_ gave way._

_He liked Akihito._

_The thought hit him like someone had punched him in the gut. Hard. Everything was a bit slow to him, his mind stuck in replay._

_I like Akihito. _

I like Akihito.

_ "-mi. Hiroomi!" Someone grabbed him. He looked up, at the concerned face of the blond. Shivering slightly, Hiroomi pushed him away gently. _

_ "Sorry, I was thinking about something." He gave a forced smile._

"_Thinking? Are you sure your brain can handle that?" Hiroomi chuckled and Akihito frowned. He flicked the younger male's forehead. _

_ "Don't frown, you'll get wrinkles."_

* * *

After that he had run out, leaving a justifiably confused Akihito behind, and just left school. It didn't matter. He didn't go to class anyway. Class bored him and the curious eyes did nothing to help. At one point Akihito managed to make him go to class, but after 2 solid days of school, he couldn't take it anymore. He went straight back to skipping.

And here he was, lying on the bench in the middle of a shitty park, with thoughts he'd rather not have in his head. Mitsuki had texted him (to say that she was going to be late, and not to look for her) and for a while that lifted his spirits, but his forced excitement about his sister seemed pathetic even to him, and he felt even more miserable, so Hiroomi opted to curl on the park bench instead.

The thing that made his head hurt was that he wasn't scared of gays or anything, and he wasn't on a grand journey of self-discovery or anything like that. He had known people that were homosexual, and they were still good people, so he felt none of the prejudice. Even when he had found out he had this _love _for Mitsuki, it didn't deter him at all, and he took it in stride without so much as a blink, but when it came to Akihito, everything in him just seemed to shut down. His breath would hitch and his mind would grind to a halt and everything was just so, so confusing. He sighed again and rubbed his head and suddenly felt someone's hands at his waist.

Hiroomi jolted forward and his head hit the park bench.

"What the-"He muttered, turning around angrily, while rubbing his poor, bruised forehead.

"Na, Hiroomi."

There was Akihito, squatting down, looking up at him with his honey eyes, an eyebrow quirked and in his casual clothes. Hiroomi nearly had a heart attack, and he did a double take, before vaulting over the bench and hiding behind it. He poked his head up, and Akihito stood on the other side, slightly irritated.

"Why are you avoiding me?"

"I-I'm not." Hiroomi looked away, hoping to god the blond didn't notice the blush on his cheeks.

"You're hiding behind a bench." Akihito sounded beyond irritated now. "Now tell me, why are you avoiding me?"

Hiroomi stood up slowly, still gripping the bench tightly and looked away.

"I'm…"

"Yes?" Akihito impatiently prompted.

Hiroomi's mind ran all over the place, searching left, right, up and down for an excuse. "I…uh," Then he had an idea. He took a deep breath, then said,"I...had-eaten-something-off-and-I-felt-the-n eed-to-fart-but-I-didn't-want-to-do-it-in-the-club room-so-I-left-and-I-still-smell-that's-why." Then quickly shut up to gauge Akihito's response. The blond stood with an intense thinking face, his hand on his chin.

After a seeming eternity of silence, Akihito finally nodded.

"I see." Akihito put a hand on Hiroomi's shoulder. "You're a good friend Hiroomi. Thank you for not stinking up the clubroom." The younger male looked sincerely thankful and Hiroomi could feel another migraine coming on. Sighing, he wriggled out of the blond's grip, still blushing slightly.

"….I'm…um, I'm going to go home. M-Mitsuki's waiting for me." Hiroomi said, looking sideways before turning on his heels and left, walking quickly before turning a corner and breaking into a run.

Akihito sighed.

"He's not going to tell me huh…?" The blond looked up, admiring the moon and smiled sadly. "How pretty…" Akihito closed his eyes and let the wind flow over his face, then turned and left for home.

**A/N: How's that? More coming soon~ Please like and review. Much obliged.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hey everybody! Due to the support of the fans, here's the next chapter! ; A ; Seriously, thank you to everyone who read the first chapter, and to _you_, for reading the second! So much love and I'm loving the reviews! A shout out for **_**icedragonpeach **_**for being a fantabulous beta and amazing friend. On an unrelated note, did anyone notice what I did last chapter? If not, I'll tell you at the end. For now, here's Chapter Two! **

Hiroomi panted lightly when he got to the doors of his massive home and doubled over, putting a hand on the door to steady himself. He was actually feeling a little warm, which was a rare feeling, and he pulled off his scarf. He straightened up and breathed lightly, his breath making puffs of mist in the night air. It had been a particularly cold night for summer, and he shivered lightly. Hiroomi opened the big traditional doors, the wood creaking quietly.

"I'm home." The words echoed in the empty house, and Hiroomi sighed. What did he expect? Izumi nee-san was never at home, and Mitsuki was out. He shut the door softly and shook off his shoes, before padding to the kitchen. He opened the fridge, eyes scanning the shelves, before pursing his lips and closed the fridge. Nothing to eat. Great.

"I have to go out again…" Hiroomi tutted in annoyance, and headed upstairs to his room. His school uniform was quite uncomfortable so he opted for a pair of jeans, a graphic tee, sneakers and of course, his scarf.

Out of all the scarves he owned, Hiroomi loved this striped red and black one the best, for the sole reason that Akkey and Mitsuki had bought it for him on his 14th birthday. He smiled fondly at the memory of cute little Mitsuki and Akihito, smiling so brightly. Well, Akihito was anyway.

Hiroomi sighed. That was three years ago, and in those three years, so many things had happened. They weren't like how they were before, but he didn't resent it, nor did he welcome it. He took it in stride, just like he did with everything else.

He jogged down to the front door and out to the nearest supermarket, which was a bit of a ways away since the Nase home was a little secluded from everything else, feeling the need for a little bit of exercise to get his mind off of things.

"Welcome!" The store clerk greeted him cheerfully and Hiroomi wondered how she could stay so cheerful even though it was already so late out. He bowed slightly to her and went into the store, searching for some simple ingredients so he could throw together a makeshift dinner. He scanned the shelves, mindlessly walking, occasionally grabbing a thing or two and chucked them carelessly into his basket.

"Hiroomi?" The raven-haired male turned around, and his eyebrows shot up.

"Akkey?" His heart ground to a halt, and the world seemed to slow down a little. He swallowed thickly. "What are you doing here?"

Akihito lifted his shopping basket. "Shopping for dinner." Hiroomi blanked for a minute, his nervousness and hesitation gone.

"Akkey." He said lowly, his eyes fixed on the blond's cup ramen filled basket. "You. Are. Not. Eating. That."

"Huh?" Akihito looked at his basket then back up, to meet Hiroomi's determined eyes. "Oh my god, no, Hiroomi."

"You're not eating that." Hiroomi slowly started shaking his head, before suddenly snapping into full drive, running around the store frantically, grabbing various things off the shelf, before grabbing a shocked Akihito over to the counter, slamming a 10 000 yen bill on the table and sprinted out of the store and into the night, heading for his house.

"H-Hiroomi!" Akihito panted slightly. The raven haired boy had been running at full speed, and it was hard for the blond to keep up.

"Mm?" The raven haired male finally stopped, face slightly flushed and panting lightly. "What's wrong Akkey?"

Akihito was panting like crazy, his breath forming a storm of white puffs in front of his face. He continued this for a few minutes, before finally straightening out, and managed to say, "Slow down you crazy person." Hiroomi laughed.

"Sorry," he teased. "I forgot you were so pitifully unfit."

Akihito shot him a glare, before smirking.

"Oh it's on."

* * *

Hiroomi and Akihito collapsed in front of the Nase family home, both panting and laughing with groceries strewn everywhere. Hiroomi's stiffness and strangeness had long taken flight, and they were once again how they always were. And Akihito was glad for that. He didn't like Hiroomi being so distant from him. It just didn't sit right with him.

"So," Akihito started, propping himself up on his elbows. "Are we going to eat or are we going to look at megane beauties, because if we're not doing either, I'm going home."

"Don't worry I have my secret Mitsuki-in-megane collection." Hiroomi deadpanned, before breaking out into a grin. "But we're going to eat as well. Tonight's your favourite. Curry."

Akihito drooled slightly just from thinking about it. Hiroomi didn't look like it but he could cook like a pro. "Well then, let's hurry!" Akihito brightened and got up, picking up the groceries. Hiroomi helped him and opened the door.

"You just wait in the living room. I'll be done in a sec. Thanks for your help though." Hiroomi smiled and took the groceries from Akihito's hands, and headed towards the kitchen. He started unpacking bags and getting cooking utensils out. Akihito followed him into the kitchen.

"I'm not a kid anymore you know. I can help too!" Akihito pouted. Hiroomi chuckled.

"Yes, you are. So just sit tight and wait like a good boy hmm?" Akihito looked irritated but sat in the kitchen, watching Hiroomi cook.

By now, Hiroomi's initial nerves had settled down. He didn't know why nor did he know how, but there was something about Akihito that was just so calming.

_I like him. _He thought numbly to himself, as he cooked, his body in auto pilot. _This is the man I like…_

_No._

The thought struck him like thunder.

_I love him. I love Akihito. _

He blushed, and snuck a look at Akihito.

This time, when he had come to the realisation, there was no panic or confusion. Just the simple truth that this was how his heart felt and that he could do nothing to change it. He didn't want to change it. He was happy with his feelings for the blond, and he was content with how they were now.

Hiroomi felt as though his whole body had become a little lighter and involuntarily smiled. He felt so full of happiness; he could probably die right then and there with no regrets.

No.

No he couldn't do that. He needed to protect Akihito. As long as he needed him to and as long as he wanted him to. Hiroomi _needed _to protect Akihito. But for now, he would just enjoy the moment. Enjoy all the times he could be with Akihito, as freely as he wanted. Enjoy the memories and the memories that would soon come and th-

"Ow." Hiroomi let out a low hiss. A sliver of blood trickled down his finger. "Eugh."

"Hiroomi, are you okay?" In an instant, Akihito appeared, hovering next to the raven-haired male, looking concernedly up at him. "You should concentrate on what you're doing, baka." Akihito gently took Hiroomi's hand, and his heart sped up, beating frantically at his ribcage. _God I liked it better when I wasn't having a heart attack._

Hiroomi gave a nervous laugh. "I'm fine. It's just a small cut. No big deal."He looked down at Akihito, whose eyes were cast down, looking thoughtful. "Seriously Akkey, it's fin-"

Akihito put Hiroomi's finger in his mouth; sucking gently and Hiroomi near fainted. He froze and felt a jolt of desire run involuntarily through his body. Akihito doing something like this was kind of…_hot. _His eyes glazed over as indecent images assaulted his mind, before he mentally slapped himself.

_Akihito doesn't think of you like that. He's not even gay. He's just doing this out of concern. Get your mind out of the gutter Hiroomi!_

He composed himself and returned to his normal stoic self.

"Akkey….what are you doing?"

**A/N: Oops, sorry, cliffhanger. Kufufu. Stay tuned for the next one, which may or may not be this Friday. Don't know, I'll figure something out. Also, for the last chapter, when Akihito looks at the moon and says, "How pretty…" it's a reference to Mitsuki's name, which means beautiful moon in Japanese. So no, I didn't put that in there just for dramatic effect. Jks yes I did.**

**Please read, favourite and review! Thank you!**

**EDIT: The next chapter gets a little more serious and, well, deeper, so please look forward to it!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Yooo. It's a short chapter. Sorry. I'm going to run out of ideas if I keep this up. HAHA. So yeah, back to weekly updates I guess. Don't worry, I'll post a longer one soon. ;) Thank you to everyone who reviewed/favourite/followed, it means a lot to me. I have a few apologies to make, but I'll put that at the end, if people don't want to read it. Either way, here's Chapter Three!**

"_Akkey….what are you doing?"_

Akihito looked surprised and released his finger from his mouth.

"I…" The blond blushed, mouth opening and closing and Hiroomi could see the cogs grinding away in his head, searching for a reason. "I-I was just…"

Hiroomi's mouth lifted at the sides and he put a hand on Akihito's head. He leaned in a little and said, "You're a good kid Akkey."

Akihito only flicked his eyes up and said rather unconvincingly, "I'm not a kid anymore." Something was missing. Something had just upped and left from those beautiful, honey eyes but Hiroomi just couldn't figure out what.

But this wasn't the time to think. He took his hand away and mused, "Fine, if you're not such a kid anymore go set the table; the curry's almost done." Looking away, he busied himself with the pot. Akihito faltered for a moment, but hesitantly followed his orders anyway, setting the table for two.

Hiroomi decided this would be best, for the both of them. He didn't know why Akihito did that, nor did he know why he stuttered like he did, but one thing was clear. The blond was confused and he was scared and Hiroomi didn't like that. He didn't like it one bit. Akihito was someone important to him – possibly the most important right now – and Hiroomi would be damned if he let him be hurt. So he chose to ignore it and move on and hoped Akihito would too, despite the fact that his heart was yearning incessantlyfor the blond. He could feel it. And he paid no attention to it.

_Keep yourself together Hiroomi, keep calm. Calm._

"Alright, be careful. It's hot." Hiroomi served the curry after bandaging his finger, and although he was sure he cooked it to perfection, the blond was strangely dispirited. Sitting himself next to the blond, he tried to cheer him up in vain. "Hey, Akkey, if you keep thinking so hard your brain will break."

No response.

"If you keep frowning so much you're going to get so many wrinkles you'll look like an old grandpa! Girls are already running away from you, you know."

No response.

"Good kids don't ignore their senpais." For a second, Hiroomi thought Akihito was going to keep ignoring him but then the blond said something quietly.

"What?"

Akihito looked up; his honey eyes clouded with something akin to frustration and repeated what he said. "I'm not a kid."

Hiroomi let out a small laugh. "Of course you're not a ki-"

"Senpai." Akihito furrowed his brows and the raven haired male stiffened. This was the first time Akihito had called him that. _Ever_. Even when he told him to. "I'm not a kid."

Hiroomi let out a small sound of confusion involuntarily and Akihito pressed on.

"I'm not a kid. So please stop treating me like one." The blond's voice was quiet, and he refused to look into Hiroomi's eyes, focusing instead on his feet. His hands were on his knees, gripping them so tight his knuckles were white. "I…I know I get myself in trouble a lot and I _know_ that I'm a nuisance a-and that you've always had to look after me but _please._" Akihito looked up, his frustrated eyes meeting Hiroomi's confused ones. "See me as an equal. I-I've changed and I'm not the little boy that you had to look out for because Hiroomi," The blond let out a sharp laugh and continued on. "I want to be someone worthy of standing next to a distinguished Spirit World Warrior. I want to be someone worthy enough to stand next to the son of the Nase family. I want to be someone worthy of standing next to _you._" Akihito laughed bitterly and his voice sounded strained. "I know I'm just a bastard child and I-I'm a monster but I want to stand where you stand because Hiroomi, I-"

"Akihito." Hiroomi's soft voice cut off Akihito and he bit his lip, still refusing to look at the emerald-eyed male. "Akihito," Hiroomi reached out, gently patting his head. "I've never, _ever _thought of you like that. And I will never look at you like that so don't you _dare _look at _yourself_ like that." Akihito looked up and he tried to talk, but the words got caught in his throat. He coughed.

"I'm…so sorry…I…" Akihito relaxed his hands and took a deep breath, trying to steady his breathing and be able to say what he really felt. "I…"

Hiroomi smiled sadly and cut him off. "You're not a monster, Akkey. You're human. Just like me. Just like Mitsuki. Just like everyone else. And believe me when I say that you are more than worthy."

And he meant that from the bottom of his heart. Akihito had always been like the sun to him, so warm and inviting and beautiful, even before these _feelings_ had surfaced, and he had always wanted to protect that beauty; perhaps as a way to make up for his own flaws. He envied the way the blond could launch himself selflessly into the troubles of other people, and yearned for the way he could make everybody feel at ease.

Because if Akihito was the light, Hiroomi was the shadow.

The dark recesses that no one neither needed nor wanted, but with Akihito, he felt like he _belonged. _Like someone actually saw him. Not as the son of the Nase family or as the brother of Izumi or Mitsuki, or even as a Spirit World Warrior. Just simply as Nase Hiroomi.

That's right.

Akihito always saw him for who he was and Hiroomi was incredibly happy for that.

_Stop thinking about yourself. You're a terrible lover…no. You're a terrible friend._

Hiroomi mentally flinched. It was true. He had never even considered the possibility that Akihito might have felt _anything _like this. He never noticed that Akihito felt this way, or that he had put so much pressure on the blond. He didn't know he was such a burden, but he didn't want to let go either. Even so, Hiroomi knew his duty. What he has to do. That's all he had ever known.

He felt someone touch his hand and he came back into reality.

"Hiroomi?" The blond looked up at him, eyes curious. "Are you okay?"

"A-Ah? Uh, yeah, sorry I'm fine." Hiroomi mentally shook his head. _Focus on Akihito you awful friend. _ "How about you? How are _you _feeling now?"

**A/N: How's that hmm? It's a bit random and I'm sorry it's short, but next chapter will have Akkey's POV AND it's longer, so please bear with me. Things become clear. **

**Some people have been telling me that my writing's a little, well, dramatic and I apologise for that. I've never written things like this before, so I'm actually very confused about what to do. Also, I apologise for the OOC-ness. I'm not great at channelling characters. Any and all tips that anyone can give me are greatly appreciated, and please feel free to PM me or something if you **_**do**_** have any tips. **

**As always, please read and review and your support is delightful. **** Much obliged.**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hey guys! Early update since, I don't know, I feel a little jittery. Got a bit of a block so. Hoping you guys can help me out of it. ;) Here's the next chapter, with Akihito's POV and awkward switch back to Hiroomi. ; A ; I give up what is life how do you even write omq. Anyhow, enjoy!**

Akihito had always been strangely aware of Hiroomi. Perhaps it was because he was the closest he would get to a father figure in life. And maybe that's why he was so acutely aware of what the raven-haired male did, even when he thought the blond wasn't looking.

While Hiroomi stood there and cooked, his mind obviously a million miles away, Akihito could only stare at his face, imprinting each and every expression, no matter how minor, into his memory. He could remember the momentary falter in Hiroomi's actions, and the faint pink that dusted his cheeks as he darted a look at the blond, and how strange it looked on the emerald-eyed male.

Why was it strange? He didn't know why but it did. But it was a good strange, kind of like when you see a dog protecting a cat, or read a book where your favourite character dies, but was written spectacularly. It was like drinking a strange new type of tea, bitter at first then gradually turning sweeter. It was strange in the way that it wanted you to search for more. In the way that it lures you in and hooks you, like an addiction.

Yes. It was strange because it was like an addiction.

But there was no time for serious contemplation, because in the next second, Hiroomi let out a sharp, low hiss and Akihito's heart leapt to his throat.

And perhaps that was also why he, without a second thought, felt and acted upon the need to comfort the raven-haired male, to make him look _strange_ again, albeit in a peculiar way, his body unconsciously moving to grasp the emerald-eyed male's hand and put his finger in his mouth, savouring the taste. It was an odd thing to do, but he didn't regret it. When he flicked his eyes up momentarily, he saw an expression he had never seen before on Hiroomi and his heart thudded to a stop. The green-eyed male had an intense look in his eyes; a look a predator would give their prey, hungry, craving, _lustful_ and his body was soft and loose but emanated an aura of power and energy and Akihito felt a delightful shiver run down his spine. He lowered his eyes quickly and back up, but in that single second, that had all gone. Hiroomi was back to his usual self and the blond felt strangely dissatisfied.

"Akkey….what are you doing?"

The words nudged him back into reality and he let go, horrified- No. He was embarrassed. Incredibly embarrassed, and Akihito could feel the heat rising to his face. "I…" Why had he done it? Why did he do something so inexplicably _strange_? Why _wasn't_ he horrified? "I-I was just…" His head started to hurt and a dull pounding spread through his mind, reaching the deepest darkest corners, every nook and cranny and, with a feather-light touch, set them aflame. The pain got worse and his head felt like it was going to split when suddenly, it dissipated and he felt peaceful again; like a hand had reached through the haze and pulled him into the bright, bright sunlight. Like the clouds had been quietly moved apart and the soft morning rays greeted him like an old friend.

Akihito blinked and came face to face with Hiroomi's kind, sad eyes, and he could feel warmth radiating from the hand resting gently on his head. "You're a good kid Akkey." Akihito needed to say something. Anything. So he blurt something out numbly, unsure of exactly what he said until his head had registered the sounds his mouth had made.

"I'm not a kid."

And it was as if all of a sudden, a switch had been turned in Hiroomi and he turned so cold. Cold as ice. Colder than ice. "Fine, if you're not such a kid anymore go set the table; the curry's almost done." His emerald eyes lost its life and slid away from his face and Akihito's entire body was internally screaming. Screaming for the life to come back, for Hiroomi to be normal again, for Hiroomi to not treat him as if he was different.

Akihito hesitated. _Should he try? Try to get Hiroomi to be himself again? Try to cling onto a semblance of normalcy? _No. He was too scared to. If he was rejected…

His body seized up just thinking about it and he pushed the idea away, instead focusing on the mundane task of setting the table, forcing his body to make the moves that would normally come so easily to him. All the while his mind whirring along, zipping down the tracks of his thoughts as if they were non-existent. Memories flooded his head.

"_**A-Akihito-kun, you were hit by the c-car. W-Where did your injuries go?"**_

_Fear. Only fear._

"_**Don't kill us! Please!"**_

_Why would you think that? I would never harm anyon-_

_**Blood. Blood everywhere. On his clothes. On his hands. On **_**his **_**clothes. Ripped. His back was ripped. Shredded.**_

_Did I do that? Did I hurt him?_

"_**Monster. You're a monster."**_

_I'm not a monster. I'm not a monster. I'm not a monster I'm not a monsterI'm nota monsterI'mnotamonsterI'mnotamonsterI'mnotamonsterI'mnotamonster_

_I'm. Not. A. Monster._

"Good kids don't ignore their senpais."

_I'm not a kid._

"What?" Akihito slowly raised his eyes. He didn't know what they held but Hiroomi looked scared. Why was he scared?

"I'm not a kid." Relief flooded across the raven-haired male's face.

"Of course you're not a ki-"

_He doesn't understand._

"Senpai. I'm not a kid."

Hiroomi's face melted into confusion. Akihito dropped his eyes.

"I'm not a kid. So please stop treating me like one."

_Don't treat me like how I was back then. When I didn't know what I am. When I didn't know what I could do. _

_I know now._

_I know._

His hands gripped his knees tightly. He tried to keep his voice level and quiet but it felt like his body was no longer his own. What could he do?

"I…I know I get myself in trouble a lot and I _know_ that I'm a nuisance a-and that you've always had to look after me but _please._"

_I just want to be like you. I don't want to cause trouble. I just want to be like you._

Again, his eyes looked up, and he saw more confusion. Was he surprised? Not really. After all, who would understand? Who _wouldn't _be surprised?

"See me as an equal. I-I've changed and I'm not the little boy that you had to look out for because Hiroomi, I want to be someone worthy of standing next to a distinguished Spirit World Warrior. I want to be someone worthy enough to stand next to the son of the Nase family. I want to be someone worthy of standing next to _you." _

_I'm not fragile. I can stand my own ground. You don't have to watch over me, day in, day out. I want to be your friend. Not your ward. I'm not just someone who has to be looked after. To be guarded. To be feared._

He laughed, a bitter laugh, and his voice strained. "I know I'm just a bastard child and I-I'm a monster but I want to stand where you stand because Hiroomi, I-"

_I'm just a bastard child. I fit in no world. You are my last hope, Hiroomi. See me as an equal because Hiroomi, I…I what?_

"Akihito." The tender voice was like a saviour, like a pillar of fire guiding the pilgrim home through the darkness of the world. It pushed away the obscurity and brought him to sanctuary. Like the light in the lighthouse that steered the ships to safety.

That's right.

If he was the light house, then Hiroomi was his light.

The fundamental substance that gave him purpose, a reason to exist and a way to make up for his mistakes.

The blond looked up and he tried to talk, but it felt like something was pressing on his chest, stopping him from saying what he wanted to say. He coughed.

"I've never, _ever _thought of you like that. And I will never look at you like that so don't you _dare _look at _yourself_ like that." The words startled the blond.

Akihito wondered if he was toying with him, but one look into those emerald eyes told him otherwise. Hiroomi wasn't a talker. His eyes conveyed more than his words could ever send, and he trusted those eyes. Trusted the sincerity and the kindness that they reflected and he felt like crying again. Out of relief. Relief that Hiroomi _wasn't _throwing him away. Relief that he wasn't just something that could neither be trusted nor loved.

"I'm…so sorry…I…" Akihito tried to stop and steady himself to tell Hiroomi how much he meant to him, what he really wanted to say. He felt the warmth from the raven-haired male's hand recede and he had to stop himself from reaching out towards him, towards the heat. The light.

"You're not a monster, Akkey. You're human. Just like me. Just like Mitsuki. Just like everyone else. And believe me when I say that you are more than worthy." Hiroomi smiled half-heartedly. "I'm your senpai, remember?"

He nearly cried out of relief. Relief that he still had humanity.

He looked up, and once more, Hiroomi was off in his dream world, the ghost of a smile lingering on his lips before it disappeared altogether.

_No._

_No he's leaving again._

"Hiroomi? Are you okay?" Akihito reached out, his hand briefly touching the raven-haired male's. Hiroomi looked a little dazed.

""A-Ah? Uh, yeah, sorry I'm fine." He closed his eyes for a moment and opened them again and he seemed focused now. "How about you? How're you feeling now?"

The blond's heart swelled slightly, and a warm feeling spread through his body, and he wasn't quite sure why. But it felt good, particularly after the haze that had tainted his mind. The feeling of this…haze felt strangely like the moments before he turned into…_that._ The monster. His sin.

Was he on the edge of transforming? And how did he return from the brink?

Was he more resistant now?

Questions swirled in his mind but he decided to think about it later.

Akihito blushed slightly and nodded. "Sorry." He laughed. "I'm so uncool, god. Thank you for hearing me out Hiroomi. I didn't mean to….I mean. I didn't think…And the finger…I…" He flushed a little more red.

Hiroomi was relieved. Akihito was obviously back to normal, or at least as normal as you could get after _that_ and he wanted to keep it that way. He smirked. "You mean you didn't think you could be even more uncool than you usually are? Honestly Akkey, you're going to have to try harder if you want _any _megane beauties." A dull pang reverberated through his heart. He ignored it. And he ignored the finger comment.

"Oi!" The blond was about to retort when his stomach let out a loud grumble, and he flushed a deeper red.

Hiroomi laughed. "Shall we eat? The curry's getting cold."

"Yeah." Akihito scratched the back of his head and chuckled awkwardly. Throughout the rest of dinner they joked and laughed and teased each other, as if nothing had happened. Akihito was considerably more cheerful and Hiroomi's heart felt like it was going to burst from happiness; he was so relieved that he had to physically stop himself from smiling.

As they were cleaning up, Hiroomi doing the dishes and pots while Akihito dried, the blond suddenly piped up.

"Na, Hiroomi, why _did_ you run out? And why did you avoid me after that?" It was a simple question. There was no animosity or accusation, just mere curiousity. The raven-haired male froze and he ceased rinsing for a couple of seconds, but continued on, saying nothing. For a while the only sound was the males' quiet breathing. Akihito said nothing, only stared silently, before shifting his gaze back to the plate he was holding. "I-if you don't want to tell me, it's fine. I-I mean I don't want to pressure you or anything…" He trailed off, unsure of what to say.

Hiroomi didn't know what to do. His silence wasn't of rejection, but of hesitation. _Should he tell him? Should he burden him with the knowledge of his feelings?_ No. Of course not. He'd already made up his mind that he wouldn't. But when he tried to lie to the blond, to deflect or to reject, he couldn't do it. How could he? When those beautiful honey eyes settled on him; when those eyes that looked like cracked glass when he was sad and when those eyes that looked like the first kisses of spring in winter when he was happy, settled on him, Hiroomi could do nothing against them. So he settled for the better option. To tell the partial truth or perhaps, the partial lie.

"I…had a revelation…if you will." The raven-haired male said slowly, setting down the plates, a quiet clatter echoing inaudibly through the house. The blond looked surprised, taken aback by Hiroomi's seemingly sudden confession.

"I…see. About what?"

Silence. A soft exhale.

"About...well." Hiroomi let out a short laugh. "Things."

Akihito understood. It pained him, but he understood. He forced his face into a light-hearted one. "Did you think about Mitsuki?" He changed his face into mock horror. "Have you finally taken your siscon too far? Hiroomi, it's one thing to like your sister, but it's another to confess to her and make her your girlfriend and wife!" He feigned shock.

"Don't worry; I'll make sure to invite you to the wedding." Hiroomi laughed. "Alright, now stop slacking off! We have to finish these before Izumi-neesan and Mitsuki come back or they'll have a fit again." He said, nudging the blond. Akihito stuck his tongue out at him.

**A/N: How was that? More to come and as always read, review and favourite! Thank you! Reviews make me happy. :D**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Hey guys! Okay so like, early update because I don't know, I feel like it. Hope y'all like this. It's a bit hard to wind down from the last chapter tho. ; A ; also it's a bit weird. Anyhow, here's the chapter!**

After the last plate was dried and packed away, they both stood there, a little unsure of what to do next. Finally, the blond piped up first.

"Well, I mean…it's late so…" He scratched the back of his head awkwardly, chuckling softly. "I should be…um." He gestured towards the door.

Hiroomi felt a sharp tug at his heart. He didn't want him to go. But he forced out a laugh anyway. "Yeah. I'll, um. I'll see you tomorrow." Both boys stood there for perhaps only a few seconds, before Akihito laughed. He turned around and waved, opening the door.

"Bye then." Hiroomi walked towards the door, holding it open as the blond made his way down the stairs, watching him as he left. The green-eyed male was about to close the door when Akihito turned around.

"Hiroomi. Thank you."

He left quickly after that, the whisper almost inaudible in the night but it echoed in the raven-haired male's mind, repeating and replaying over and over. There was something almost like goodbye in those three words and Hiroomi couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was going to happen.

Uneasily, he trudged upstairs, his heart heavy, and his footsteps even heavier. He shrugged off his shirt and slid out of his jeans, and slipped on a pair of cotton pants before collapsing into his bed.

Sleeping half-naked always felt better than with those stupid itchy clothes on. To be honest, Hiroomi preferred sleeping completely naked but suffering the many lectures from Izumi-neesan and Mitsuki just wasn't worth it.

He gazed at the ceiling, his mind wide awake and he lay there for hours, the clock ticking slowly away. He heard Mitsuki and Izumi-neesan come home, opening and shutting the door quietly, and heard their footsteps fade away to an inaudible click from their bedroom doors.

Even so, the anxious feeling just wouldn't go away. He tossed and turned and when he finally fell into a troubled slumber, he dreamt of things that he couldn't remember, but even so, would leave lingering traces in his mind. He dreamt of the most torturous anguish imaginable. He dreamt of screams that would ring throughout his mind, even in the morning. And he dreamt of incomparable suffering.

He dreamt of Akihito, chained as a youmu to a wall and watched as he was slashed over and over and over till his vision was stained red by blood that wasn't his and tears that would never stop. Akihito screamed for help, wailing, weeping, _begging _for salvation but he could do nothing. He struggled against the ropes that held him, but nothing would work and he was rendered useless. Always useless. So he surrendered to the sadness and wept silently at the pain that wasn't his own.

And he forgot.

Hiroomi gasped and sat up, drenched in cold sweat. His whole body felt like it was on fire and he panted breathlessly. He drew his knees towards his chest and wrapped his arms around them, still breathing heavily. His mind was hazy and his head had a pounding headache. Reaching a hand to his forehead, he swiped his fringe away and took a deep breath, pressing an exceedingly warm hand to his brow. The headache pounded like a drum and he could hardly think straight. He stumbled out of bed, still half-naked and made his way down to the kitchen. Pouring a cold glass of water, he downed it in a gulp, and stood leaning over the sink, feeling a little better. He opened the tap and put his head under the running water, enjoying the coolness it provided, and slowly, his headache receded.

That was a bad dream. A really bad dream. He couldn't remember what, but he shuddered at the thought of it.

He hadn't had any nightmares for a while now. Not since…the last time Akkey had….

He dodged a look at the clock.

6:30.

It was early. Much earlier than normal. He shivered. The cold was starting to get to him again.

"Guess I'll go for a run then…."

Hiroomi tiptoed upstairs, careful not to disturb anyone else and slipped on a light t-shirt and track pants. He put his earphones in and turned up the volume and hit the streets running, enjoying the rising sun against his back and the deserted streets, stopping a few times to say muted _Good Morning_s to those who _were_ up, mostly elderly people, and to a few stray cats he chanced upon.

Normally this would've felt divine. The wind against his face, the crunching of ground beneath his sneakers, the smell of the world in the morning. The warmth that spread through his entire body that made him feel so, so _alive. _The feeling of superiority that the rest of the world was asleep and he was not. The feeling that, without a doubt, that there was life bubbling underneath the surface of this city, but he could pretend that there wasn't. That he was the only person alive in this wide, vast world.

Normally.

But today, something was off. Terribly off. The wind seemed almost suffocating. The ground felt like mud; dragging him down with every step he took. The air was sticky and it clung to his skin and his whole body felt cold; the sun felt cold and running did nothing to warm him up. He felt like a dead man walking. The city seemed bereft of life. Like the vein of energy running like roots beneath the ground had been cut off and the normally innate thrum of vitality was just _gone._

Hiroomi clicked his tongue, annoyed and apprehensive, and took the short way home and intended to ask Izumi-neesan about it. As he veered into his front yard, he slowed to a walk and gathered his breath before entering, walking into the kitchen. He walked to the bench, getting another glass of water and flicked his eyes to the clock.

7:30.

_An hour? I've been out an hour?_ He frowned. Today's run had seemed shorter to him, but apparently he had been gone as long as he normally would've been. Why was everything so strange today? Everything felt so wrong and-

"Hiroomi."

He turned around, coming face to face with Izumi.

"…Izumi-neesan. Good morning."

She smiled. "Good morning. How was your run?" She walked towards Hiroomi, and he felt a little intimidated. Izumi always made him feel like that. She gestured to the coffee machine behind him. "May I?"

He silently moved out of the way, leaning against the bench with his arms crossed, setting his cup down. "Something's wrong, nee-san. What is it?"

She hummed lightly under her breath, quietly making her coffee. "Hiroomi, we had a guest over yesterday, did we not?"

Hiroomi stiffened a little and closed his eyes before answering. "Yes."

"Who?"

"….Akkey."

"I see." Izumi finished making her coffee and pulled out a chair, cradling the mug in her hands.

Hiroomi opened his eyes. "But that doesn't answer my question. What's wrong?"

Izumi swirled her coffee around with a teaspoon before taking a sip. "Hiroomi, I want you to escort Kanbara-kun from school to the Photo Studio today. Shindou-san wanted to see him I believe." She smiled, the smile not quite reaching her eyes. "If you need help, you can ask Mitsuki, but I don't imagine you would."

Hiroomi was suspicious. _What isn't she telling me? No, why isn't she telling me? Because I will endanger her plan? In that case, she's going to do something bad. Something I won't like and I will change. Mitsuki? No. She wants me to escort Akihito…_

_Akihito. _

_Something's going to happen, and Akihito is involved. _

_Why? Why is he involved? What could Izumi-neesan want from him that would benefit the Nase family? After all, that's all she wanted. _

_Ayaka-san wanted to see him too…maybe something to do with youmu?_

Hiroomi's mind whirred away and Izumi could see that. Nevertheless, she had perfect confidence that he wouldn't find out what she had planned. She didn't allow him to.

"Hiroomi? Will you do it?"

He flicked his eyes to her, suspicious but not rebellious. "…Yes."

She smiled again and took another sip from her coffee, closing her eyes. "That's good. I suggest you start getting ready for school. And call Mitsuki up will you please?"

Hiroomi stood there hesitantly, narrowing his eyes at his sister, but obeyed, draining his cup of water and made his way upstairs. Standing outside Mitsuki's room, he arranged his face into something more light-hearted. Mitsuki didn't know about any of this and he intended to keep it that way.

"Mitsuki~ Good moooorning!"

Flinging her door open, he leapt on the bed. The empty bed. Mitsuki stood next to it, her arms crossed, dressed and ready to go. She shot a disgusted glare at her brother. "It's barely 8. Can you keep your _inner pervert_ under control?"

Hiroomi chuckled. "How can I? It's my cute sister after all." Those words that he could usually say without a problem now felt uncomfortable in his mouth. It didn't feel right. It felt fake and artificial and just saying it felt like betrayal.

_I can't even be normal anymore._ The irony made him laugh and he let out a soft chuckle. Mitsuki stepped back a little, wary of her brother.

"Are you going to do something perverted again?"

Hiroomi looked up and smiled. "No; I just thought of something funny." She didn't say anything, merely narrowing her burgundy eyes and flicked her hair over her shoulder, stalking out of her room.

"Hurry up or I'm going to leave without you. And get off my bed! You stink of sweat!"

Hiroomi laughed, got off of the bed and trudged to his own room, throwing on his winter uniform and his green scarf, before going downstairs. Izumi was still there, chatting amiably away with Mitsuki while eating breakfast and the both of them seemed to be having a good time. Mitsuki didn't know exactly how scary their sister could get; in fact, she idolised her. So it was up to Hiroomi to keep a watchful eye.

Leaning over a chair, he grabbed a piece of toast and made to take a glass of warm milk but Mitsuki had gotten up, picking up her bag. "I'm leaving. I'll see you later, Izumi-neesama." Izumi smiled and waved at her and Hiroomi clicked his tongue quietly. He wanted to eat breakfast. Downing the milk in one gulp, he picked up the toast and made for the door as well.

"Hiroomi." Izumi called out. He turned around. Izumi's eyes held something a little strange. "Remember, family is forever."

He stared for a few seconds, an uncomfortable feeling in the pit of his stomach and he turned back around, muttering a quiet 'I'm leaving' and shut the door. Mitsuki was already at the end of the driveway, but he didn't bother catching up, his mind instead focusing on the strange behaviour of his sister.

His body switched to auto pilot and his mind wandered. _Youmu…maybe Ayaka-san just wanted to talk to Akkey about something youmu-related? No…nee-san wouldn't get me to escort him if it was just something trivial like that. What is she scheming? _

Slightly frustrated, he trudged on, hands buried deep in his pockets. Taking a deep breath, he tried to calm himself. It worked mostly, but he was still somewhat jittery. _I'll ask him when I see him at school…._

**A/N: I'm sorry for crappy chappy /sobbu but I **_**do **_**wonder what's going to happen next. ****Only because I don't even know what's going to happen next. ****So, read, review, favourite and follow! Thank you so much to **_**everyone**_** who took the time to read my fanfic. Much love.**


	6. Chapter 6

** A/N: Guys I am so done. You know how done I am? Like 600% done. Episode 12 killed me and that's why, I dunno, I feel the need to update. To save myself from this spiralling uncanon-ness. But there was the special….(if you haven't watched it, watch it. Idol Saiban #3. Hiroomi is naked through the whole thing omg) **

**Anyhow, Christmas break has started over here, so I'll probably write more. I can't guarantee quicker updates, but I definitely **_**can **_**guarantee more updates. So here you go guys!**

Akihito had woken up that day, sluggish and tired, barely being able to drag himself off of his bed and to school. He saw Kuriyama-san at the station, but even her megane appeal wasn't able to give him enough energy. Perhaps if he had paid a little more attention he would've seen the way she looked at him. Maybe.

Yawning, he made his way from the station to school, Kuriyama and Inami bickering in front of him. He smiled slightly but shifted his focus on putting one foot in front of the other without falling asleep. When the blond came up to the school gates, eyelids drooping, he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Akkey." Hiroomi said softly, lightly tapping his shoulder. The blond lethargically looked up, blinking the sun out of his eyes.

"Morning Hiroomi. You're early." He drawled, yawning slightly. Hiroomi cocked an eyebrow.

"…Didn't you sleep?"

"Yeah…well." The blond straightened out, forcing himself to stay concentrated. "I…slept last night. But I woke up this morning and I don't know. I just feel so _drained._" Hiroomi frowned. _This is definitely strange._

"Did anything weird happen to you on the way home?" The blond furrowed his eyebrows, thinking back to the night before, struggling against the fatigue.

"No…" He said slowly, shaking his head. "Not really." He looked up concernedly. 'Why? Is something wrong?"

Hiroomi shook his head lightly before smiling. "No it's nothing. Oh, Izumi nee-san wanted me to tell you that Ayaka-san wanted to see you, so let's go after school."

Akihito's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Ayaka-san? Why?"

Hiroomi shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine. So wait up afterwards." He started walking off before he had an idea. "Ne, Akkey, if you're so tired, why don't you just skip with me?"

The blond looked thoughtful before shaking his head slowly. "Thanks Hiroomi," he smiled. "But it's okay. I don't want to miss school."

Hiroomi scoffed. "It's for one day. One. You won't miss much. Besides, you'll just fall asleep in class anyway, so you might as well just skip." He shrugged. "Well, it's up to you. Bye~" He sang before turning back around and kept walking, putting a hand in the air, waving a little.

The blond shoved his hands in his pockets still looking contemplative, before breaking out in a grin. "Hey Hiroomi!"

Hiroomi looked down and smirked.

"Wait up!"

* * *

"You knew I'd come, didn't you?" Akihito stared lazily through half-lidded eyes at the white puffs floating across the sky, lying on the rooftop next to the emerald-eyed male. Both were lying on their backs with their hands tucked under their heads, although Hiroomi had his eyes closed.

"Mm."

Akihito stayed silent and his eyes drooped shut. "How did you know?" he asked sleepily.

Hiroomi smiled a little. "Because you always do." He lay there, waiting for a response, but after minutes of silence ticked away, he cracked an eye open.

Akihito was sound asleep, his breathing even and his face peaceful. Smiling and feeling a little silly, Hiroomi shifted so he was on his side, looking at the blond.

He watched the wind flutter his eyelashes and tussle his hair. Watched as the sunlight hit his face at an incredible angle, making his whole being light up. Watched as the wind caressed his face and could only stare as a leaf from seemingly nowhere settled itself on Akihito's nose. The blond scrunched his eyes and sneezed quietly and Hiroomi involuntarily smiled. A sleepy hand swiped briefly at his nose before he moved so he was facing Hiroomi.

The raven-haired male's breath hitched and his eyes widened. He was less than an arm length away. Less than a hair's breadth away.

Close.

_So, so close._

His gaze followed the blond's face, drinking in _everything. _Every curve and every dip. Feeling his way through uncharted territory like he was plotting a map, blindfolded. Tracing his way down like gentle summer rain on the forest. His hair. His closed eyes. His nose. His soft breathing. His lips.

_His lips._

Hiroomi's cheeks warmed and his lips parted a little, indecent images once again assaulting his senses. If he just leaned in a little more….just a little….

He mentally slapped himself, closed his eyes and took a deep breath. 1, 2, 3.

_Control, Hiroomi. Self-control. Please._

Forcing a neutral expression on his face, he moved away, sitting up with his knees loosely pulled to his chest. The blush lingered.

"Idiot," He muttered desperately, trying to erase the images that had suddenly been etched into his memory. "Such an idiot…" Shaking his head furiously, he got up. Putting both hands on his face, he concentrated on cooling down, fervently praying for the usual coldness in his hands to melt the blush away. So he just stood there, unmoving and still, unwilling to turn around in case _anything _happened.

When he finally felt like his face wasn't on fire, he let out a deep sigh and walked over to the fence, intertwining his fingers with the wire. Looking out upon the city, _his_ city, as pretentious as it sounded, he felt at peace. This was home. And this was why he loved the roof top so much. This is what he skipped for. Why bother with suffocating classrooms and opinions and judgements when he could have _this?_

This open, unending freedom, with home as far as eye could see. The sky, the world at his feet. Every hope and dream and desire attainable; within reach. A place where he belonged. Just him, no one else. An uninvaded space that remained pure and sacred, though he was sure it was far from.

Leaning his forehead against the fence, he closed his eyes and took a slow, deep breath. Breathing in the wind and the city. The sounds of the distant traffic comforting him like a lullaby. Breathing in the smell of the Chinese restaurants cooking brilliant dishes. Breathing in the very essence of the town. Breathing in _life_.

The strange feeling from this morning seemed to have left, although he still felt slightly uneasy. Shaking his head, he squashed his qualms and turned back around to the sleeping blond. He felt a little weird having someone up on the roof with him, but it wasn't a bad feeling. More like…excitement.

Yes. He was excited to have the blond with him. Here, in his safe haven.

The blond had shifted again and had curled up into a ball, much like a kitten and Hiroomi smirked. Walking over, Hiroomi squatted down, cocking his head and stared for a few more minutes before slowly putting a hand softly on Akihito's cheek. It was cold.

Really cold.

Frowning, he bent over the blond and realised he was shivering slightly. _Something's wrong._ He put a hand on his forehead and his eyes widened. _He's on fire. Does he have a fever? Then why is he cold?_

Confused, Hiroomi decided it would be best to keep the blond warm for now and pulled off his blazer, laying it carefully over Akihito. Mitsuki had gotten a fever once or twice and he had always looked after her, since Izumi or his parents were never around to do things like that, but it was nothing like this. Normally your whole body was hot, but Akihito's body was cold. Only his forehead and fingertips were burning.

Should he go to the doctor's office? But he didn't want to leave Akihito alone. But he couldn't leave Akihito in this state either.

Reluctantly, he got up and turned on his heel, preparing to leave before he felt something tugging on his pant leg.

"What the-" Looking down, he saw the blond's hand at the bottom of his pant leg, clutching desperately at it. "Akkey? How are you feeling? Are you okay?" He asked worriedly. The blond looked up through heavy eyes, his eyes and eyelashes reflecting the sunlight, making Hiroomi's heart skip a beat.

_Stop it, he's sick and you're thinking about how nice he looks._ Internally groaning at his lack of self-control, he bent down.

"Where're you going?" The blond said sleepily.

"Doctor's office."

"Why? Are you sick?"

"…No."

"Oh." Akihito's eyes drifted shut again but he kept talking, Hiroomi's ears straining to hear. "Don't leave me hmm? I feel a little strange. I'm…really…tired…."

Hiroomi hesitated before putting a hand on the blond's head, stroking softly and murmuring quietly, "Then just sleep." Mitsuki always fell asleep easier like this. Maybe it would help Akihito. He felt his cheeks warm and he battled the feeling of wanting to do something more, instead concentrating on the fact that Akihito was _sick _and he shouldn't even _want_ to take advantage of the blond in his moment of weakness. Reprimanding himself, he fought the blush and calmed himself down.

After a few terse minutes, he stopped moving his hand and got back up again. "Really have to get to the doctor's office…" He muttered. _I'm acting weird…_

Sighing he fixed the blazer so it was covering the blond and skipped down the stairs, walking briskly to the doctor's office. As he opened the door, the nurse looked up from her desk and she smiled.

"What seems to be the problem?"

"Ah, my friend has a bit of a fever and I was just wondering if there was anything you could give me to help them."

The nurse smiled and winked. "Your girlfriend huh? What a good boyfriend." She let out a dramatic sigh. "Aaah, being young sure is good. Alright give me a second." She disappeared in the backroom and Hiroomi stood there, a little shocked. _Boyfriend? Am I Akihito's boyfriend? _He laughed. _No, of course not._ _Does that make Akkey the girl then?_ The thought made him chuckle a little.

_But do you __**want**__ to be his boyfriend? _A traitorous voice whispered in his mind and he could almost feel the smirk that came along with it. _Shut up!_ He whisper-shouted angrily back at it. The voice shut up.

The nurse appeared again, carrying a small parcel. "Here, this should help. Take one a day and it should clear up pretty soon." She looked up and cocked her head curiously. "Are you okay? You look like _you _have a fever." She laughed.

"H-huh?" Hiroomi dodged a look sideways at a small mirror on the table. She was right. His face was lightly dusted with traces of red and his pale skin was starting to resemble a tomato. Turning back around to the nurse, he took the parcel, muttering a quiet 'thank you' and was about to leave before the nurse piped up.

"Oh! Remember to give her plenty of liquid and preferably eat easy-to-digest food, like porridge." She winked. "But you probably already know that."

He nodded mutely and bowed slightly, before shutting the door. As it clicked shut, he sighed quietly and tucked the parcel away in his pocket. Walking slowly down the hall, his footsteps echoing in the empty corridor, he furrowed his eyebrows. _I should get him something to eat. Where am I going to get porridge?_

Hiroomi decided the cafeteria would be his best bet, although it was still during class time. Besides, he was a Nase. They can't _not _give it to him. Veering into the cafeteria, he walked up to the window.

"Hello?"

A homely looking woman scurried out, cheeks rosy and puffing slightly, wearing a white apron and hat, although the apron looked like it had seen better days. "Hello dear. How can I help you?"

"I'd like some porridge please, if that's okay." Hiroomi said. The lunch lady smiled.

"Of course dear. Do you want take out?" She winked. "Your girlfriend must be waiting."

_Why does everyone think it's for my girlfriend?! _Hiroomi forced a polite smile. "Yes please." The lady laughed.

"Alright, won't be a second." She flashed a smile and disappeared behind shelves of pre-made food, ready for the lunch rush. Hiroomi sighed and put his hands in his pockets, rocking slightly on his heel. He could hear various bangs and crashes and ominous sounds coming from the back and he started to doubt the skill of the woman. Finally, she appeared, carrying a small thermos, looking considerably more dishevelled.

"Here you go, love." She handed it over and he thanked her. "I made it extra healthy, to help your girlfriend get better quicker." The lunch lady winked.

Hiroomi sighed internally and instead said, "Could I have a spoon too please?" He bowed politely as she handed over a plastic spoon, waving slightly and he left, heaving another sigh of relief. _I should check if it's…edible. _

Hiroomi opened the thermos and a delicious smell hit his nostrils and his eyes widened in surprise. "Jesus," he muttered. "_I _want to eat this." The porridge looked delicious, various vegetables and meat scattered throughout and the lady had put a sauce or something in it to make it smell absolutely _divine._

_Akihito is going to like this_. He thought happily. Shaking his head slightly, he made his way back up to the rooftop. The blond was already awake, albeit still sleepy with Hiroomi's blazer in his lap and he turned groggily towards the emerald-eyed male.

"Hiroomi," he yawned. "Where've you been?"

Hiroomi shrugged. "Around." Sitting himself down next to the blond, he crossed his legs. "Are you hungry?"

Akihito looked at him, a little more awake now. "Mm, kind of. And my head kind of hurts as well." He raised a hand to his head and rubbed, wincing slightly. Hiroomi leaned in a bit, putting a hand to Akihito's forehead.

"Mm, you're still a bit warm."

Akihito cocked his head, lifting Hiroomi's blazer and said, "Is this why I have this?"

Hiroomi gaped slightly; he had completely forgotten that. "Uh, yeah. You were, uh, kind of cold so…" He trailed off, looking sideways.

Akihito laughed. "Thanks." He sniffed. "What's that smell? It smells delicious." He sniffed again, following his nose and pounced on the thermos in Hiroomi's lap. Hiroomi blushed lightly and quickly gave the thermos to Akihito.

"H-Here. It's, uh, porridge." He cleared his throat, regaining his composure. "The lady made it especially nice, so make sure you eat all of it." Akihito nodded quickly and took the spoon, about to start eating before Hiroomi piped up.

"Oh! Wait," He took the medicine out of his pocket. "Eat this before the porridge."

Akihito scrunched his nose. "Is that medicine?"

Hiroomi nodded. "Medicine. That's going to make you _better._ So eat up." He shoved the parcel into the blond's hands and waited expectantly. Akihito made a disgusted face and looked at Hiroomi pleadingly. The emerald-eyed male shook his head.

"You're going to eat it." He paused. "If it's any consolation, you only have to eat one." The blond brightened.

"Until you eat the next one tomorrow." Akihito's face dropped. Hiroomi laughed internally. Love or not, teasing Akihito was always fun.

Grumbling, the blond unwrapped the parcel, revealing a small packet of three pills. He popped one out and wrinkled his nose in disgust, before taking a deep breath and quickly throwing it into his mouth. He swallowed and made another exaggerated face. Hiroomi chuckled softly and put a hand on Akihito's head, patting it lightly.

"Good boy."

Akihito dodged a brief look up and then down and Hiroomi thought he saw a blush. His green eyes widened and he rubbed them, shaking his head. Looking at the blond again, he did a double take. That was _definitely _a blush.

"Akkey," he said lightly, although his heart was pounding away and he found it a little hard to breathe. "Are you still feeling feverish?"

Akihito looked at him, seemingly unaware of the red that graced his face and shook his head. "No, the wind up here feels nice; cooled me down a lot so I don't really feel feverish."

"Then," Hiroomi said carefully, hope bubbling in his heart and he started to feel a little lightheaded.

"Why are you blushing?"

**A/N: I'm sorry I'm such a sucker for stupid cliffhangers and dumb fluff but there you go. Don't hate me please omg. I don't know where I'm going to take this anymore because. I mean. Episode 12. As always, read, review, favourite and all that jazz and please **_**do **_**enjoy your day! Sometimes I wonder if people like my fic at all and then you guys jump in with your fab messages and I just. /blush I love you guys ugh**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Hello my lovelies! I'm terribly sorry for not updating D: My computer recently got dismantled and put together again (with upgrades yay!) and that's why I haven't been able to upload. T A T I'm so sorry omg  
First of all, Happy New Year! I hope each and every one of you beautiful readers have a fabulous year, and I just **_**know**_** y'all are gonna rock 2014 like no other. :D Secondly, I'll be uploading a Christmas/New Year Special soon (I know it's late I'm sorry but the computer got dismantled 24****th**** and only got put together on the 31****st**** so. T^T) as a way of saying sorry to you sweeties so please wait for that! And now, without further ado, here's Chapter 7!**

The blond looked surprised and put both hands on his cheeks but only chuckled weakly, offering no response. He merely coughed and looked down again. Hiroomi frowned. The blond looked way too tense and all of a sudden the air seemed almost oppressive, the mood too dark and definitely too heavy.

Twisting his mouth, Hiroomi started to say something before getting cut off by a low, obviously forced cry from the blond. The blond gestured at the thermos.

"T-The porridge is going to get cold. I should, um, I should eat it now." He picked up the spoon and quickly uncapped the container, getting a hearty spoonful of the food and the smell enveloped the two boys.

Hiroomi frowned. "Akkey, it's in a thermos. It'll stay warm. Be careful it's still ho-"

But the blond had already shoved the spoon in his mouth and he let out a little whimper and flapped his hands around wildly, the spoon clattering quietly on the floor a little ways away.

Akihito swallowed and stuck his tongue out, trying desperately to cool it. "Waher! Waher!" Hiroomi let out an involuntary snort of laughter and rummaged through his bag that had been haphazardly thrown on the floor. Pulling out a bottle of water, he opened the cap and handed it to Akihito.

"I told you it was hot." He watched as Akihito gulped mouthfuls of water and he felt at ease again. The mood had dissipated.

Akihito let out a relieved sigh. "Yeah. I should've known." He darted his eyes down, looking thoughtful. Lifting the raven-haired male's bottle, he said, "Sorry, I'll get you another bottle later." He smiled sheepishly. The bottle was drained of almost all its contents.

Hiroomi cocked an eyebrow, a little bemused. "It's fine. You don't need to, it's just water anyway." The blond didn't answer for a few minutes, before he sighed.

"…Mm."

Hiroomi opened his mouth wanting to say something but at that exact moment, the bell rang and he jumped in surprise. Cursing quietly, he got up, dusting himself. Akihito stood up too, thermos still in hand.

"I haven't finished my porridge yet…" He pouted, looking a little disappointed. The sides of Hiroomi's mouth lifted slightly.

Picking up the blond's and his own bag, the emerald-eyed male mused, "Just eat it on the way to Ayaka-san's place. We can return the thermos tomorrow."

The blond nodded and they started walking down the stairs, Akihito eating quietly, occasionally blowing on the porridge. Hiroomi was left alone with his thoughts and he wondered why the blond had so forcefully changed the subject. He wasn't going to push it; he never did. But he did wonder. And why did he say what he did in the first place?

Hiroomi darted a look sideways at the blond who had nearly finished eating and looked back down to the floor. It didn't matter right now. Right now, he had bigger things to worry about. Like the strange sensations that morning and why Izumi nee-san was so strange and why on earth Ayaka-san wanted to see Akihito.

So they trudged on. Akihito had finished and took his bag back from Hiroomi, putting the thermos into it. As they neared the front gate, Hiroomi heard two familiar voices, bickering away.

"-pai, please! Let me leave them in the room-"

"No. They're taking up space an-"

"B-But…!"

On the other side of the gate stood Mitsuki and Kuriyama, the former looking extremely exasperated and the latter, worried.

"Ah! Kanbara-senpai!" The pink-haired girl noticed the two of them and Akihito gave a wave and a smile.

"What are you two beauties fighting about hmm?" He said, walking over.

"Mitsuki-senpai won't let me keep the bonsai…"

Their voices faded out and all Hiroomi could see was Akihito being so blatantly _normal _with people. People who _weren't him_, whereas barely five minutes ago, he had been so weird and distant, and he felt as though something ugly and twisted and wrong had crawled into him and taken hold of his heart. It felt as though his chest was tightening and every dark and miserable thought had crawled to the surface, clawing desperately to get out. His throat felt thick and he swallowed, trying to get rid of the feeling, but it stayed, leaving a foul taste in his mouth. He looked away, unable to bear it and felt like leaving.

Turning on his heel, he walked away briskly. He wasn't feeling himself and he knew he'd do something he'd regret if he stayed. Hiroomi had almost walked to the end of the road when suddenly, someone shouted his name. Turning around, he saw Akihito running over, with Mitsuki walking behind, bored, and Kuriyama-san jogging over as well.

"Hiroomi!" The blond reached him and crossed his arms over his chest. "Why'd you leave? We need to go to Ayaka-san's place remember?"

For a split second, Hiroomi couldn't say anything. Because Akihito had said _we. _

We.

One simple word could make him feel at ease. So insignificant; yet it bears so much, so many things unspoken. The word echoed in his mind and his chest unclenched and relaxed and he felt decidedly better. Sniffing in mock hurt, he said, "Well, _I _certainly couldn't stand you flirting so openly with my beloved sister."

Both Mitsuki and Akihito's jaws dropped open and simultaneously they echoed, "He was _not-_"

"I was _not_-"

Hiroomi smirked and Mirai giggled, pushing her glasses up her nose. Turning to Hiroomi, she cocked her head. "Why do you need to go to Ayaka-san's place though?"

Hiroomi shrugged. "She wanted to see Akihito apparently."

Nodding, she turned to Akihito, smiling and clapped her hands together. "Then let's all go together! I have work anyway and I'm sure Mitsuki-senpai would be happy to join us." Once again Mitsuki looked surprised and opened her mouth.

"No I most _certainly_ will not-"

"Great!" The pink-haired girl looked happy. "It's decided. Let's get going then!" Grabbing the Mitsuki's arm, she pulled the latter forward, the raven-haired girl almost tripping.

"O-Oi!"

* * *

The group arrived at the Photo Studio, Hiroomi feeling happy at the normalcy of it all, Akihito looking considerably distraught at his sister's teasing, Mitsuki being very miffed and Mirai completely oblivious to all else. Regaining his composure but still smiling lightly, Hiroomi opened the door, the familiar jingle greeting his ears.

"Hello?"

Ai appeared from the backroom with Ayaka on her heels. "Hello!" Ai smiled. "Come in, come in." Ayaka also greeted them warmly, before ushering them into the Japanese-style backroom. Settling herself on the floor on one side of the table, she pulled out a postcard from her long, kimono sleeves. The group settled themselves on the other side.

"Kanbara-kun, your mother sent another postcard." Her melodic voice held mirth. The colour drained from the blond's face. Swallowing thickly, he looked visibly shaken but nodded, taking the card. Letting a breath out, he closed his eyes. The rest of them leaned forward in anticipation.

Flipping the card over, the overly sweet, boisterous and altogether too-annoying voice of Akihito's mother filled the room. Once again, she was in a ridiculous squirrel-like get-up and Hiroomi didn't even have it in him to laugh anymore; he merely scrunched his eyebrows in semi-confusion.

"Yup! At long last, the Calm is coming! But there is like, something else I must bring up first…."

* * *

The message had finally finished and Akihito looked like his soul had finally returned. The room had a light atmosphere, but Hiroomi was considerably disturbed. What was this Calm? And why did Akihito have to be careful?

He had a sneaking suspicion Izumi-neesan knew about this as well and that everything all lined up. Ayaka-san and Ai moved the group to the café out front and Ai started explaining what the Calm was. As she did, Hiroomi felt a sinking feeling spread throughout his body and he went cold; colder than he usually was.

"But in that case, why do I need to be careful?" The blond looked confused and Ayaka-san walked over, with a plate of tea-filled mugs.

"Have you forgotten? Kanbara-kun, you are half-youmu. If your youmu powers weaken, couldn't it affect you in some way?"

Mitsuki looked thoughtful, her initial boredom completely disappeared and she piped up. "For instance?"

Ayaka-san looked troubled. "Half-youmu are too rare for me to know for certain. However, your immortality is one trait that you could potentially lose."

Hiroomi struggled to keep himself calm and took a deep breath. "I see. So if a Spirit World Warrior found Akkey in such a vulnerable state, there is a chance they might strike." A mix of emotions assaulted the emerald-eyed male and he couldn't put his finger on exactly which ones made up the concoction, but he could very distinctly feel anxiety, anger, sadness and fear, but even amid those one stood out quite clearly; frustration._ What does this all mean?_

"Exactly." Ayaka-san said. "Isn't that exactly why you escorted him here?" Hiroomi stiffened. _No. That's why Izumi-neesan wanted me to escort him here._ Dread filled his body. _Why? Why doesn't she want Akkey to be attacked? He must be important to her…but for what?_

After that, no one said anything until Mitsuki got up solemnly and bid farewell to Ayaka-san. One by one they followed suit. Hiroomi got up as well, but lingered behind. Ayaka-san took a draw from her pipe that she took out from her sleeve.

"What seems to be the problem Hiroomi-kun?" Her melodic voice was a stark contrast to her piercing green eyes and he felt like every inch of his being was under scrutiny.

Hiroomi stayed quiet, an internal war raging within him that was, undoubtedly, seen by the youmu but she didn't press, instead letting him reach his own conclusion. Finally he let out a soft exhale.

"This morning, I felt like the world was just…" He struggled for the words. "_Off_. The whole city was so _dead_ and everything seemed so caging. Like...like there wasn't anything left. Just a broken sense of routine." He let out an involuntary shudder at the recollection of the sensation. "Does that have anything to do with the Calm?"

The youmu looked thoughtful, taking another draw. She exhaled and the smoke lingered lightly in the air, drifting upwards and dissipating like water on hot metal. Finally she mused, "…For a simple answer, yes. See, the youmu give the city, to some degree, a sense of life." She said slowly. "Ever since the beginning of time, when humans gained consciousness and in turn, those twisted and miserable thoughts that make up youmu, we have existed in a strange balance with humans. We draw strength from them and they draw strength from us. We affect each other and there's a balance to be maintained. Since all their vitality has dropped, perhaps that's why it feels dead, as you put it."

She shook her head. "But that is only a mere theory. I've not been around long enough, obviously, to cement that idea but I have seen various things that may suggest as much." Her green eyes twinkled. "We youmu have our own ways of remembering."

Hiroomi considered the information and swallowed thickly. "Thank you." Bowing, he shut the door behind him, trailing a bit behind the other three. He never even considered the fact that youmu might have had some sense of society, let alone memories.

As he walked along, a thought hit him. _That means Izumi-neesan knew about this. She knew about the Calm. She wanted me to escort Akihito because she __**knew**__ that he'd be considerably weaker. But why? What does she need him for?_

The city felt like how it felt that morning; suffocating and cage-like and Hiroomi felt claustrophobic. The air felt heavy and the languid rays from the setting sun seemed to do nothing to chase away the gathering darkness. There wasn't a single sound, no birds, no cicadas, no insects; nothing.

The world was deathly silent.

**A/N: So things are **_**finally **_**getting moving. Wonder what this holds in store for us? Only time will tell! Till then, please wait patiently for the next chapter and be sure to review, favourite and follow! **


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Hello my lovely readers~ Okay I know I said I'd post the special soon but I've gone into a complete writing block an has come up. So I decided that maybe I should just take requests. :D Alright so just PM me or put it your review or whatever and I'll get back to you. So for now, here's chapter 8!**

Out of the corner of his eye, Hiroomi saw a familiar car flash past. _Was that…?_

Mirai interrupted his thoughts. "I wouldn't say it's heavy…It feels stagnate." Hiroomi was a little annoyed at having his train of thought broken and pressed his mouth together, forming a thin line. Akihito dodged a look sideways at his companions and noticed the almost undetectable waves of irritation undulating off the male. Then he blinked, and it was gone.

Hiroomi looked around. "Where's Mitsuki?" He said, slightly alarmed. He had been too engrossed in his thoughts to notice that his sister, his _sister, _had gone missing.

"Oh! She left, earlier, while you were still with Shindou-san, saying she needed to do something." Mirai shook her head, her pink hair shaking left and right. "But I don't know where."

Hiroomi looked at her and sighed quietly. "I see. Thank you." He said, offering a small smile.

Mirai's eyes widened and she reddened, dodging looks left and right before letting out a cry of realisation and excused herself for some sale or other. The honey-eyed male bid her farewell but Hiroomi took none of it in. His mind was elsewhere, whirring quietly and trying to work out if Mitsuki was in danger, and, if she was, where she was and whether she needed help. The silver glint of that car nagged incessantly in his mind, distracting him and he was annoyed.

Then he realised. He raced up his memory lanes, trying to remember where he had seen that car before. Then suddenly the answer clicked.

Fujima Miroku.

_That bastard…! He better not have done anything to Mitsuki…_

All this time the blond stood, hands in his pockets, rocking slightly on his heels and looked at the park they had stopped in front by chance. He watched as the children swung and ran and played, and noted the quiet ceaseless chatter from their mothers.

He watched the old man on the bench, flipping sluggishly through his newspaper, his aged, rheumy eyes moving along the pages with obvious effort.

He watched the two lovers, sitting on another bench, heads bent and talking quietly; without urgency and with a palpable sense of tenderness, hands intertwined and their faces sweet.

And he was acutely aware of the pandemonium that raged on in the emerald-eyed male beside him.

Akihito knew better than to interrupt Hiroomi. He had learned that much over the years; Hiroomi was a powerful thinker and was prone to these kinds of silences and he could join up seemingly unrelated things and make everything click. It was a formidable skill and the blond shuddered at the thought of possibly having it turned against him. He would not like to have Hiroomi as an enemy.

Finally Hiroomi spoke. Turning back to Akihito and feeling even more agitated than before, he said lowly. "Akkey. Don't take this lightly. I'm filled with unrest." And it was true.

Hiroomi felt with his entirety that it was true. His body, his mind, his heart, his_ soul_; the very fabric that made up his entirety was buzzing with semi-contained fear and terror because his gut instinct was screaming that something terrible was going to happen.

And his gut instinct was rarely wrong.

His mind raced through the facts, examining them, mulling them over and over, unwilling to miss any detail and squeeze every possible solution from them, to _try_ and predict what _might_ happen and prepare himself for it.

"Falling in love?" The soft voice of the blond cut through his thoughts and he emerged from them, a little disorientated. His first instinct was to say yes. Yes. I am falling in love with you. But he looked up to meet those sad, cracked honey-tinted orbs and he hesitated. How could he not? Akihito looked blatantly untrusting. Unbelieving at the notion that falling in love with him was even an _option._ And Hiroomi felt his heart break a little more. How could he tell him that falling in love with him was such a plausible decision with just mere _words_?

So he stayed quiet, physically unable to conjure up the means to tell him what he felt, but that wasn't uncommon and the blond left, skipping away to the station, his footsteps echoing quietly. Hiroomi's eyes unfocused and he reached a hand out involuntarily. Realising, he withdrew it, staring vacantly at his hand before he closed his eyes and looked forward. The world seemed to stretch before him; becoming so much bigger and so much scarier when the blond wasn't there with him. When the blond was at war with it. When he had to, somehow, protect the blond from the horrors.

Hiroomi stuck out his chin resolutely and unconsciously. "Guess I should find Mitsuki then…" Removing his hands from his pockets, he flicked his scarf over his shoulder and jumped onto the nearest ledge.

* * *

Akihito arrived at the station and sat on one of the benches, waiting for his train. He felt wrong to brush off the concern of Hiroomi so effortlessly but he was getting considerably irritated by it. He knew it was in good faith but it still irked him a little every time Hiroomi, or, indeed, anyone, gave him those pitying looks or an unconscious flick of the eyes as if to make sure he was still there; still unthreatening and still _safe._

Gritting his teeth a little he took a deep breath. Be that as it may, he couldn't very well go around accusing and arguing with everyone. So the blond decided to take it up with Hiroomi next time he saw him; there was no use dwelling on it now. Besides, he was far too tired. This whole day had been considerably strange. First, his unexplainable fatigue. They came in bouts, sometimes his mind would be crisp and clear and sharp like the cold on a winter morning and the next second he was so tired and clouded and could barely even make his way up stairs. Ayaka-san told him it was because of the Calm and therefore he couldn't _do _anything about it but it still frustrated him to no end.

Second, the way Hiroomi looked at him; as though he knew something Akihito didn't and he feared it. But that gaze was unnerving as well, cold and calculative and for a fleeting moment, the blond felt inexplicably fearful. But then it passed.

Third, his own feelings about the…incident on the roof. He had felt…strange. The practised familiarity felt different somehow. Like...like the air was charged and a tension held everything in place. Then as quickly as it had come, the feeling had left and had left him decidedly unsatisfied. It left a sour taste in his mouth. What had brought it on? As much as he didn't want to believe it, he knew the fault lay with him. If he hadn't blushed-

Why _had _he blushed?

Akihito could feel his head slowly turning into a migraine and he massaged his temples, sighing. He had nowhere near Hiroomi's capacity for thinking and he could physically feel his brain turning into gloop. Chuckling softly at the comparison, his train pulled up.

Hefting his bag higher onto his shoulder, he made his way onto the semi-deserted train, choosing a seat near the door and settled down, intending to mull some more about his blush. At least, that's what he would've done if another wave of fatigue hadn't hit him. And it hit him hard.

"Hnngh…" Akihito struggled to stay awake, prying his eyes open several times.

_No…! I can't! I have…to…nngh…_

But, inevitably, he felt his eyelids flutter shut and the clutches of sleep take hold of him.

* * *

_A field of sunflowers, the setting sun tinting them an ethereal red with dashes of purple and blue streaking across the sky._

_Alone._

_He stood alone. _

_The wind jostled the sunflowers, their tall stalks bending and swaying in the breeze, creaking like a cello. He looked around. No one and nothing. Nothing but the sunflowers. He looked up. The gentle hues of the blues and purples were steadily disappearing, replaced with a dark shade of red in its stead. The red, so uncannily like blood. His chest seized. _

_Like __**blood.**_

_He looked around, panicked. Blood was spreading inwards from the horizon like a disease taking hold of the sunflowers. Like the blood seeping from a vicious wound. Nothing had colour. Only blood. And he stood amidst it all. _

"_No..! NO!" His scream elicited no change and the blood kept moving in; coming for him. "Get away…! GET AWAY FROM ME!"_

_His eyes snapped open. He was on the train, the sunflowers gone and the familiar scenery flashing past but he felt a little different. No matter. He let out a relieved sigh. It was over. The dream was over._

_Or so he thought._

"_W-What…?"_

_In front of him, two children, no larger than he was, clutched at each other. The older one lifted a shaking finger, pointing directly at him. Their bodies shook, fear evident in their eyes._

"_Y-You're…" The little one buried his head in the older one's chest; uttering soft mewls and wept quietly. The older one clutched tighter at the younger, both seeking comfort in one another. Both had their eyes squeezed shut and hands held together as if in prayer. "Don't hurt us! Please!"_

"_N-No, I…" Akihito heard his voice, shaking and cracking and so, so young. He forced a smile. Some semblance of friendship. "I-I promise. I won't hurt you."_

_All at once the children were dyed red, their bodies limp and bereft of life. Their arms dropped and they weren't holding each other anymore. Their eyes, empty and their souls, gone._

_They were dead._

_The older one slowly slid his gaze over to Akihito, frightening him with the slow yet sudden movement and his gaze alone unnerved the blond so much that he trembled and tears sprung to his eyes. Quiet, lonely tears that glided down his cheeks. The child smiled a twisted and fear-inducing smile. A smile of a mad man. He looked directly at Akihito and let out a deranged, crazed laugh that slowly faded away to nothing. _

_No._

_Not nothing. _

_One word. _

_A minute whisper among the noises of the train. _

"_Murderer."_

_Alone. _

_He was alone._

And as quick as they had come, the children disappeared. Once more, Akihito opened his eyes, to reality this time, and could barely come to his senses.

"What did I dream about…?" He was still sleepy; still tired and as his vision came into focus, it settled on a familiar silhouette; a rocking black figure against the orange sunset. Or perhaps it was a rocking orange sunset behind a black figure.

Squinting a little, for the sunset was right outside the window, he made out raven-black hair and a distinct womanly figure, but the face was unknown to him. He swayed with the movement of the train and the sun glinted off the strange fish necklace the person was wearing.

"I…zumi…san…?" So sleepy. So, so tired. She smiled. His chest felt warmth spreading across it.

_Ahh...so kind._

"Shh…" She hushed him, not unkindly. "Sleep now." Lifting a hand to his head, her ice cold fingers pierced through the haze that filled his mind and for a split second, he saw everything clearly.

Then he was lost to the darkness.

**A/N: Shh I know I'm terrible. Sorry, please do bear with me until I actually deviate more from the actual storyline. T A T I'm so sorryyyy. As always, R&R and have a great day you beautiful people! Thank you all so much for reading. **


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